2008 58 S3 Bose

M

McG37

Registered User
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
31
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
NULL
Was looking at a car at the weekend advertised with Bose, couldnt really play with the stereo. Does anyone know if the facelift version still hase Bose Speaker covers or plain ones, Cheers.
 
The facelift S3 with Bose has the silver trim with Bose on it, along the top of the speaker covers. :)

Paulie
 
Yeah as above... The facelift didn't change the Bose badging so the same across the board from 03-11 MY
 
audicruiser said:
I wouldn't be without it but it depends what your into....
Click to expand...

Me neither, Bose was a must for me in my present car and in my last A3 too. A 1500 quid Pioneer set up in my VXR came nowhere near to matching the sound quality Bose in my Audi has IMO, but hey ho, each to their own.

Paulie
 
erm ,my 8L S3 didn't have it, and that was awful..... not being one for aftermarket stereos i can honestly say my current Bose system can more than handle what i need, including some seriously loud mooosic - although you will always get the 'show' element who will want more slating it :)
 
Bose is perfect and im really suprised with the quality of the kit, Its on point its not very loud but it remains very clear through out. I have had good quality aftermarket systems in the past, Mainly focal, Jl audio equipment. I still have the stuff sat at home but the bose is perfectly suited so i see no reason to change it.

Makes for a comfortable lisening inside the car.
 
Well I ripped my Bose out and installed a load of Alpine kit - seriously better. Not slatting the Bose as it is pretty good for a premium OEM solution (not the best though).

IMHO

Paul
 
I would not be without Bose again.. Ripped it out of my TT, and had to spend a fortune to get similar sound quality (not mentioning having all the trim, door cards, and carpets out!!) plus it weighed an absolute ton by the end of it.. Waste of time.. Audis are classy cars and do not need to be spoilt with chavvie boot builds - so I apologise for my previous crimes and promise to never go back!!:blink::blush:
Actually, thinking about it.. I still have all the TT Bose kit boxed in my garage (it's single din tho) so if anyone's interested, pm me and gimme a drink and you can have it!
 
Last edited:
farhanali said:
Bose is perfect and im really suprised with the quality of the kit, Its on point its not very loud but it remains very clear through out. I have had good quality aftermarket systems in the past, Mainly focal, Jl audio equipment. I still have the stuff sat at home but the bose is perfectly suited so i see no reason to change it.

Makes for a comfortable lisening inside the car.
Click to expand...
I agree:
I had all JL audio in the TT, was great, but was very expensive....... Like I said, Bose all the way now, I'd rather spend the money on performance mods, but each to their own!
 
i think its funny how some people slate it tbf, im an ex sound engineer and its perfectly fine in my book...what the hell are people gauging their experience on!!?? not enuf bass brap brap, it dunt av a grafic eqilizer which has lots ov slidiy fings or a fuse to the battery which is obviously a MUST when playing Cheryl Cole
 
If my car didnt come with bose i would have swapped it out. Im not all for big boot builds.

My set up was small but pure quality.
I had a JL Audio 8W3V3 In a highout put enclosure, Focal 165 Anniversary components front and rear, One single amplifier JL Audio XD600/6.
Weight: Whole System Within 15KG.
It sounded amazing, the little 8 really sounded class, The focals were full of clarity and the amp was slotted under the seat.

It got loud aswell, my mate has this exact set up in his R32.....It really does sound amazing.

After all of that though the BOSE is very well designed, i now sit in my car with the bose and yes its not as loud but it retains quality which is most important.
 
How about 24bit 192KHz DVD-Audio ? Which I can run on my Alpine set-up.

All about choices - somewhere I have a thread with pictures of the Bose amp and it is tinny.

I also do a bit of sound engineering on the side, assisting my Bro-in-Law with Live sound for bands at Steam Fairs.

Paul
 
Last edited:
1animal1 said:
i think its funny how some people slate it tbf, im an ex sound engineer and its perfectly fine in my book...what the hell are people gauging their experience on!!?? not enuf bass brap brap, it dunt av a grafic eqilizer which has lots ov slidiy fings or a fuse to the battery which is obviously a MUST when playing Cheryl Cole
Click to expand...
Adele 21 sounds pretty good on my system. These days your graphic equalizers are mostly digital (Granddad) :p so it's all knobs and buttons. Mine is plumbed in using an oem bolt fuse in one of the spare fuse locations under the bonnet.
As I say it is down to choice and certainly the Bose system does sound good for an OEM premium system, but can't get anywhere near a well installed after market system.
Get your self over to TA and you'll find some fantastic systems (http://www.talkaudio.co.uk
Paul
 
I didn't directly order Bose but it cane with the black edition pack now I couldn't be without it. Granted some aftermarket will be better louder clearer etc but you can say that about all there will always that argument!!!

Bose = thumbs up :)
 
Well got the car today and no Bose so off to Nigel for some Mods i must go.
 
McG37 said:
Well got the car today and no Bose so off to Nigel for some Mods i must go.
Click to expand...
Retro fitting Bose is a major pita and not worth the outlay, the car will have a different loom for Bose.
You can get good results with an aftermarket setup from the stock HU (if you want to retain it). In a Bose setup the Audi OEM HU is the same but just coded to run different equalization out the pre-out to the Bose amp which does the rest.

Pop in and have a chat with a decent local ICE installer or if you want to do it yourself - pop over to TA (http://www.talkaudio.co.uk)

You could have an Alpine imprint processor off of your OEM HU and run hidden after market speakers and amps so it would all look stock.

Paul
 
if it were me and i didnt have Bose, id change the speakers to none oem and see how it sounded, if you wanted more then theres no reason you couldnt work an amp in there somewhere (gather the *P is similar to the 8L, amp running the rears and bass bin?). If that fails then change the HU, but that would be last on my list as OEM is king :)
 
I asked my dealer about retrofitting the Bose and they said it wasn't really worth it as it is alot of work and alot of cost.
 
Well alot of responses to read, cheers for all the info.

I think it has been decided then that the best thing to do is deffo get the RNS HU and then probably just put in something like a JL Audio 6.5" sub and AMP and possibly look to upgrade stock speakers.

Thanks.
 
Yer to be fair my 8W3 is still sitting here ill end up throwing an xd200/2 with the 8 to get a tad more bass and throw pure treble to the speakers
 
audi upgrades
I'm lucky enough to have had a Mk2 TT without Bose and later a TTS with Bose.
As my 7 year old refuses to stop growing the S3 was an obvious choice and is a keeper.
In the TT Bose really made such a little difference and not worth the money.
In the A3 the Bose is much better than the non Bose version.
I think the larger interior must help accomodate those low-end half cycles particulary.
 
Last edited:
Yea so agree, mate has a TT with bose and i cant tell the difference at all...It sounds weak. The moment everyone jumps into my car everyones like is that the standard bose subwoofer. Not only that the clarity of the speakers is also alot better

The newer bose systems are much improved and not only that sound travels alot better in a hatchback.
 
N8 said:
Yeh I agree, BOSE TT sounds weak. My SB Bose is immense....:wub:
Click to expand...

Interesting bro, the weird thing which from my theory is vehicles with quattro the boots sit up higher than the FWD models.

Now both mine and my mates last cars had identical systems, same amplifier, same subwoofer same components.

His R32 the subwoofer sat obviously higher up in the boot compared to mine which was directly hitting into the back bumper where as his would sit higher and hit into the tailgate. Even until today the bass used to hit alot harder than mine ever did and we had the exact same systems. Its down to the acoustics with that one, I saw a friends A3 who has a sportback quattro and his boot sat up alot higher aswell which made me think all these things make a massive difference.

I think the A3s sound system is just better placed in comparisons to the TT, Saying that though BOSE is alot better now they have stepped it up and its very comfortable to listen to.
 
Glad i read this thread, was thinking of retrofitting BOSE in mine, So you would say its better to go with a decent aftermarket kit,

How much money we talking to install BOSE just out of interest,
 
new loom, total refit including rewiring the back of the HU - few hours labour id have said - theres also a Bose sensor that sits above the map light module and a few other niggly bits....really isnt worth retro'ing

You could always ask Nigel (NHN) to price it for ya, im sure he'll welcome a new house from the proceeds :)
 
As many have said, Bose setups are of a very good quality and great when it comes to performance.. However, that is until you hear a set of Boston Acoustics SPZ6's.

Completely different league :happy:
 
Having had BOSE in a 3 door A3 and now the normal concert system (with sub in the boot) in my SB, the only real difference i can notice is the BOSE has the option to tweak the mid range and also with BOSE you cant distort the speakers so it can be whacked right up.

The concert system tends to run out of punch after around 16 on the volume.

BOSE is brilliant though for the reasons above, was a little peeved when i realised my SB didn't have it but the concert system that's fitted is still good, knocks the socks off the ****e which was fitted in my old Astra as standard!

BOSE is brilliant, would deffo have it ticked on a brand new order, the concert system which i have is also pretty decent too.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well after driving my car around for a while I am going to listen to BOSE at the weekend and if it sounds nicer I am going to retrofit as like OEM soo much, like most things as hard as it will be to do the satisfaction at the end when it is finished and working will be worth it. (i hope).
 
Have any of you lot tried the standard stuff next to Bose? Ive heard both, and its not made me want Bose? I certainly wouldnt say the difference was night and day.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
2008(58) S3 exhaust valve springs
Replies
8
Views
2K
bazzy
B
sheridan94
Does the 2008/58 RNS-E have bluetooth?
Replies
2
Views
618
CMC81
CMC81
J
Gearbox help ASAP! What gearbox? Audi S3 2008 (58) Quattro Manuel sportback
Replies
3
Views
4K
Sidhu88
S
S
Tech package+ satnav aerial on 2008 (58) A3 1.8 TFSI
Replies
17
Views
1K
Artimus
Artimus
S
S3 58 plate front grill
Replies
3
Views
561
NHN
NHN
Top
Back